


Haunting Past

by Ellie42



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, aot - Freeform, aotfanfic, aotxreader, enemiestolovers, leviheichou, slowburn, snk, snkfanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:47:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29581179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellie42/pseuds/Ellie42
Summary: When she heard that the military was recruiting Y/n didn’t think twice before joining. But it wouldn’t take long before she crossed the path of captain Levi, making her rethink her decision.Would she be strong enough?Would she be able to adapt to the strict lifestyle?And what will happen when something that she thought was long gone, come to haunt her again?This is a Levi x reader fanfic.This is the first fanfic I ever wrote, so there might be some mistakes (a lot) but I hope you guys will enjoy it :)This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Attack on Titan world, which is trademarked by Hajime Isayama. I  do not claim ownership of the characters and world created by Hajime Isayama. The story I tell here about The characters from Snk  is my own invention, and it is not purported or believed to be part of Hajime Isayama story canon. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official story line. I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story.
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/You, Levi Ackerman & Reader, Levi Ackerman/Reader, LevixReader, LevixYN
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

***12 YEARS AGO***

The underground. Such a well-known place for all the bad reasons. No lights, no fresh air.   
Only misery and sorrow.   
An injured hand pushed the front door of the small shop open, followed by a second silhouette.   
« Good afternoon Miss Cora.   
-Well, isn’t that the little Church. Where have you been? Huh? I haven’t seen you since last week.   
-I’m sorry Cora. I’ll make it up to you today. I need new stuff. » He said while planting a kiss on the old woman's cheek.   
« I love when you come here with good news. » She continues with a big smile. 

Noticing the woman by his side, The old lady was sure that she would make good business today. 

« And who did you come with Farlan? Is that your new fiancé? »  
The old woman's hands placed themselves on her heart.   
The girl wandering around the shop since she entered was now walking towards Cora.

« It’s a pleasure to meet you, Madame. I’ve heard a lot about you. My name is Isabel.  
-Cora, I’m fourteen do you really think I would be engaged? We both live together with a friend. Roommates » Said Farlan stepping closer.   
« I see, I see. » Said Cora. « So how can I help you today. Do you need the same supplies as usual? We received a lot of new weapons this week. I have wonderful guns, and look at these new knives my supplier gave me. They are so sharp you could cut whatever you need. » She said while grabbing one of the knives that were hanging on the wall.

The shop was decorated with weapons all around the walls, guns, katanas, knives, but the attention of Furlan was focused on the desk counter made out of glass, exposing all the new knives miss Cora received. 

« How about those. » He said while pointing to a range of knives with black blades.   
« Oh, those my dear are the best. New technology, and easy to swing around your fingers. You won’t even notice you cut through something »

*Atcha* 

« Bless you ». Replied Isabel automatically.   
Following the sound with their eyes, the two friends were now looking at an 8 years old kid sitting beside the counter. 

« And who are you? » Said Isabel with a gentle smile  
« Miss Cora, you have a kid? » Said Farlan laughing   
« You are so sweet what is your name »Continues Isabel   
The kid look at the both of them with a smile  
-Hello, my name is-   
-Kid. His name is Kid » Said Cora quickly.   
« Kid? Are you hiding his name? » Replied Furlan.   
« I don’t like my customers in my personal stuff Furlan, you know it. » Said Cora now a bit more on the defensive.   
« I see.  
-This is my grandson. That’s all you need to know. »  
Cora was getting impatient.   
« So, are you getting the knives or what?   
-Alright. Yeah, I’ll take those two. » Said Furlan while pointing to the previous knives he saw.   
« Good. »

Both exchange money and weapons. While leaving the shop Isabel stopped and wave goodbye to the kid. 

« Bye Miss Isabel. Come back soon. » Said the kid while waving back. 

————————————————————————————

*PRESENT DAY*

« Cadets! In formation! »

A loud scream silenced the whole area where the new recruits stand. All ordered to stand in a straight line. You looked up to the angry voice, to see your new instructor. You couldn’t help but notice the absence of hair on his head, and the beard on his chin. Ironic, you thought. The sun was burning your eyes, but the curiosity made you analyze your surroundings. You noticed three shadows in the back right behind the man talking and started wondering nervously what you got yourself into. Your thoughts were quickly interrupted when the man shouted again. 

« I’m your instructor, cadets. Let me warn you right now, this is not going to be a nice family holiday, you’re going to sweat, cry, push your limits until your legs gave up. You will feel pain in your body, that you never could’ve imagined. You will sleep only a necessary amount of time, eat at specific hours, if you’re not awake or busy doing something else that will be your problem. Disrespect me or any other commanders, and I can promise you this will be the last day you’ll have the ability to speak with your teeth still attached to your gums. Do I make myself clear? » He paused to what felt like hours.

« And if you are not ready to accept this, I will order you to leave right now! » His voice was rocky, and you could hear yourself thinking that this man might have screamed his entire life to have a voice of this kind.  
The other cadets were stiff as a wood stick. None of them dare to move, or even breath, too scared to flinch. 

The commander started walking between the lines the cadets formed previously. He stopped in front of some of your peers, screaming at some, pushing others, or just looking in their eyes without saying a single word.   
That man was scary. And you knew that this was not going to be an easy task. But still, you couldn’t help your curiosity and wonder who were those silhouettes in the back. You realized by looking next to your right shoulder that you weren’t the only one wondering. The blond boy next to you was looking in the same direction with frowning eyebrows, showing how hard his brain was trying to figure out the same thing as you.

« You noticed them too huh? » You whispered while still looking right in front of you.   
The boy didn’t answer, but looked at you and nodded.   
« Oh, so I’m not worthy of an answer mister blue eyes? » A smirk formed on your lips  
His eyes widened.

« No no it’s not that, I just don’t want to get punished right on our first day.   
-I know I’m just playing with you. » You laughed.

The commander was 4 other lines back. You supposed that the man was old enough that he couldn’t hear from this far so you pursue:

« I’m Y/n, nice to meet you, blue eyes.  
-Armin Arlert, it’s nice to meet you too. »

The two of you were still looking in front of you, but you couldn’t help to check on the three silhouettes again.   
Wait. « Three silhouettes? » You thought to yourself. You could only see two now. Did the sun play a trick on you or someone just disappeared?

« Hey Armin, weren’t they three people standing in the back?   
-They were, yes. » He seemed concerned  
-Yeah, but there’s only two now. I wonder where the thir- »

A hand grabs you by the neck from behind, cutting you mid-sentence. A strong grip tightened on your muscles, and in a swing of the arm pushed you to the ground.   
Your mind ran a thousand miles and a million questions were dancing on your mind. What just happened? Before you could think further, a knee slammed your back, applying pressure between your shoulder blades, pushing you even closer to the dusty ground. You turned your confused face to look at your new blond friend, just to realize that he looked completely terrified, and was now looking down to his feet. 

« Oi. Didn’t your parents teach you to shut your mouth when a superior speaks? »


	2. 2

Frozen. You felt completely frozen. Mixed feelings of fear and anger traveled your body, making the rush of blood tingles your skin from your toes to your head. Or wasn’t it due to the crushing pressure of a knee cap planted on your back?   
The man looked at you with piercing eyes without even bothering to move from your body.   
« I’m not sure if you understood but I wouldn’t qualify myself as a patient man. Answer me.»

Though he wasn’t screaming, his calm voice was even scarier. The detachment in his tone in contrast to the strength he put to block your body was terrifying. You try to turn your head to look into his eyes but his knee pushed further on your muscles, warning you to not even try. 

« I’m ... I’m sorry sir.   
-You don’t call me sir » The hand on your neck started to grip tighter. 

« It’s » 

Tighter 

« captain » 

Tighter 

« Levi » 

Tighter. 

« Do you understand?  
-Ow! You’re hurting me you motherfucker. » 

Shit. The pain made you speak before you realized it. The whole area was even more silenced than before, and a hundred pairs of eyes were now fixated on you and the captain. Suddenly, the pressure on your body was gone. For a split second, you thought that the man left to go back to his initial position. But before you could confirm your thoughts, you felt your body being quickly lifted by your jacket. So quickly that your feet were not even touching the ground anymore. 

« You wanna talk shit young recruit ? You chose the wrong person to do so».

The man finally decided to let you go. When you opened your eyes you realized that you were now standing on the stage, in front of everyone. 

« Cadets, today is your lucky day. Your dear friend, right here, Has volunteered to demonstrate the basic moves during a fight with an opponent »

He said what?? I’m not doing shit, you thought to yourself. 

« And even better, I will be assisting her during the presentation. »

He looked at you with such bored and detached eyes, that you asked yourself if the man wasn’t joking.   
Without even warning you, his body rushed in your direction. His left hand grabbed your right one, twisted it, forcing your arm to bend in your back to avoid the pain. With his right leg, and inhuman strength and control, he swiped both of your feet in a quick impulse, causing you to fall right on your face. His free hand grabbed your neck and squished your nerves, causing you to scream in agony. 

« Second time eating dust today. You must enjoy it »

His voice hardened, making your blood frigid. Applying more pressure on you, he bends to your ear. He was so close you could feel his breath on your cheek and his torso going up and down pinned against your back. 

« The next time you disrespect me or your commander, my knee will land in your teeth. Am I clear cadet? » 

You nodded as much as you possibly could. He lifted himself up, leaving you lying on the ground, without even looking back. 

It was almost like nothing happened. You thought the commander was crazy but this man was beyond terrifying. It took you a few seconds before picking yourself up and walked back in the direction of the lines where all the other cadets were looking at you with complete fear. You didn’t even dare to look in Armin’s direction, too embarrassed of yourself. 

The commander walked back to his original spot to talk to the group. 

« And this young scouts is the perfect example of the kind of punishment you can get. Let’s thank your comrade » He paused to look at you.   
« What's your name? » 

The entire ass whooping you just received wasn’t humiliating enough, the commander had to draw even more attention on you. You looked down to your feet and answer with a voice so low and unconfident that you surprised yourself. 

« Y/n commander.   
-Well let’s thank your comrade Y/n for this demonstration. Hope every single one of you understood the lesson »

You didn’t dare to look around but you could feel all of your peers' eyes glued on your back. A weird feeling made your stomach hurts, it felt like someone was twisting it again and again, and you did everything you could to not throw up in front of your audience. You didn’t know if it was because of the embarrassment or the impact of your body archly kissing the ground, but it hurt.  
  
« Now! Line by line you will be following your officers to the next building. They will provide you with your 3D gear, if you notice any disfunction on the equipment given to you, report it by tonight »

The line of recruits that was closer to the building started first, and around an hour later it was the turn of you and Armin’s line to go. Is it because you had to wait such a long time in the sun, or because every part of your body hurt? You don’t know. But as soon as you tried to move your shaky legs to walk in the same direction as your comrades, your muscles stiffen, tingles started to fill your head and ears, and your whole body shut down and stopped responding. Your vision filled with darkness, and it felt as if all the worries in the world didn’t exist anymore.   
——  
« Ow. This freaking sun again » you thought to yourself. « Why does it have to be so bright ». Your eyes opened slowly, as you tried to recognize where you were.   
« - Am I on the ground? What happened?  
-Y/n are you okay? Do you want some water? You need to drink water! Can someone please bring me water??   
-Armin calm down! She’s fine she just fainted. » an unknown voice said.   
You tried to lift your head to see who was speaking. Even in a state like this, your curiosity had to get the upper hand. Your eyes stopped on a bright red fabric.  
« I like this color. That’s a really pretty color. Where did you get it? I remember one time my brother offered me this shirt and it was the same colo-   
-What on earth is she talking about? » said the owner of the scarf  
-I think she’s hallucinating, she must be dehydrated » a green-eyed boy added.   
-And shocked, have you seen how hard he pinned her on the ground? » Armin's eyes were filled with remorse, she was the only one who got in trouble.   
-We’ve all seen it, she was literally on the freaking stage you moron» said a brown-haired man to Armin.  
-Hey! Ass face who do you think you’re calling a moron? » The green-eyed boy stood up and was now inches from the boy’s face.   
-Well let’s see ». His voice was full of sarcasm. « Who do I think I am? Nice to meet you, my name is Jean I’m from-  
-That’s not what I asked you! » He added while clenching his fists  
« Eren let it go. We need to take care of her. » Armin stepped in, feeling like the situation was already serious enough. 


	3. 3

You were dizzy, and your body felt like it weighed 10 times more than usual. Your muscles felt sore and it felt like thousands of needles were poking at your eyes when you opened them. You look around to see several beds aligned in a white room, with no one else on them. Realizing you were probably in the infirmary, the sweet feeling of awkwardness placed itself inside your body. Again. You hated being a burden for anyone, you hated feeling weak and showing it. Unfortunately, you had numerous spectators to witnessed it today. Replaying the scenes in your head, you shut your eyes and covered them with your hands to suppress the memories. Like it was going to make a difference anyway.   
A clingy sound emerged from the back door of the room, forcing you to uncover your embarrassed eyes. 

« Where did I freaking put it? I would’ve sworn that I saw it here yesterday. Come on think, think, think »   
Sure it was the nurse, you dare to say a few words to inform her of your now awaken state.   
« Excuse me miss? » 

No answer. 

Speak louder you idiot, you sound like a scared squirrel. 

Before catching your breath, the woman’s head popped out from the door frame.  
« Is that me you were calling? Miss? » said the goggled woman. « How adorable of you! It’s been a long long time since someone called me by this sweat nickname » A generous smile formed on her face.  
« Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to sound disrespectful madam » when will this feeling of awkwardness will decide to leave you today? You’ve embarrassed yourself enough for a short 24 hours day.   
« No please please do not feel sorry young lady! » she looked at you with sparkling eyes  
« Why are you here? »   
Why is she asking, isn’t she supposed to be the one who took care of me?   
« Um. I guess I fainted..? » you replied not so sure of yourself, your mind still dizzy.   
« Oh, I see. Very common with the new recruits! The stress of the first days always has some sort of impact depending on how you deal with it. Don’t worry we’ve seen worse than this here. »   
Her comment warms you a little bit, brushing slightly away the weird feeling.

« Do you think I can leave? I wouldn’t want to miss the rest of the day with the new recruits. I’ve attracted enough attention on me today » your eyes were locked on your hands, twisting the sheets between them.   
« That’s a very good question, young lady. I don’t know »   
« Um.. what do you mean? »   
« Well, I’m not a nurse dear. » She said while going back to her mysterious research of who knows what.   
« Oh, I thought you were the one who took care of me, sorry » a quiet laugh escaped your mouth.   
« I’m almost positive that the nurse went on a quick break, but I believe that if you just fainted, you can probably leave. Who knows » She punctuated her last words with a sincere laugh, while you were wondering if this woman was not a patient after all. Quite the eccentric.   
Before you could leave your bed, firm and assertive footsteps were echoing from the corridor, getting closer to the door of the infirmary. 

« Hange! » 

No no no. Are you kidding me?

For a few seconds, you seriously considered hiding under the white blankets like a 3 years old waking up from a nightmare. Which was kinda how today’s felt, a long and endless nightmare.   
You decided that your dignity had been enough mistreated for the day, hiding under the sheets would’ve just crushed it at this point. The moment the foot of the man crossed the door, you instantly recognized him. How could you not? A rush of panic filled your blood, and your eyes immediately met the wooded floor. The only thing you were able to look at was his leather boots, hiding half of his grey pants. 

« Oi. Four eyes. I’m not your damn messenger, Erwin is looking for you. » His voice was so deep you almost shiver.   
« I know Levi. He’ll just have to wait a bit longer. I need to find this damn test tube and I’ll be good to go »   
« Tch. You and your fucking experiments »   
« My wonderful ones you mean? They are indeed wonderful you’re right » 

This woman is insane. Isn’t she terrified of this man? How could she not be terrified of a lunatic? 

But to your surprise the captain didn’t reply, nor did he got angry. This shocking realization made you instinctively look up to the scene playing in front of you. Hange was not paying attention to him and was still looking like crazy for her tube. Him, on the other hand, looked completely fed up, waiting for the woman to find her precious treasure. He looked focused, and you let yourself scrutinized this weird, lunatic and unstable character. His hands were tied in his perfectly straight back, a brown jacket was resting on his shoulders, and several leather belts were tied around his thighs and his chest. His black raven hair was contrasting with his blue icy eyes, and you almost caught yourself thinking that he was attractive for a psychopath. But the one thing that surprised you the most was his height. You swear that the man looked taller when his entire body was crushing you earlier.   
Almost like he heard your thoughts, his attention left Hange to look directly into your eyes. A silent, and fortunately, controlled gasp escaped your mouth, and your entire body stiffens, remembering what the man was capable of. Just as quickly as he noticed you, his unimpressed and bored eyes went to focus back on Hange. You’re not sure why but you could feel your anger growing and growing, ready to explode. Your face started to burn and turning red from the frustration. The man didn’t feel sorry for what he did, worse, he looked at you like you were a stack of shit on the floor.   
The words came out before you realize. 

« I’m fine by the way. Thank you for your concern »   
He didn’t move. Not even an inch. Still looking at his friend, panicking more and more at the realization that her test tube might be lost.   
« Hey! I’m talking to you » No answer. Nothing. This man was starting to make you feel some type of anger that you never knew could’ve existed inside you. It almost felt like your blood was boiling.   
« Fucking short man, with empty eyes, I’m speaking to you. Have at least the balls to look at me in return » your breath was irregular, just as your chest, going up and down fast.   
At these words, the captain honored you with a quick look, before looking back in front of him. 

How could a deep shit like him be serving in the corpse? 

« Oh I get it, you were probably raised by deep shit parents, who gave you deep shit gifts and everything you’ve asked for! You decided to join the army to represent your so prestigious family, so mom and dad can be proud. Am I fucking wrong?? Uh?? DEEP. SHIT. » 

You completely lost control of yourselves, you don’t know what possessed you at this moment but even if it meant that this man would whoop your ass a second time, you couldn’t care less. Anger was winning you over and you needed to let go of the frustration of today.   
Still stolid the man didn’t react. 

« AHHH! I freaking found it, Levi! I found it! I found it! I found it! » Hange ran inside the room where the captain and you were, doing something that resembles a dance?   
« Finally. You couldn’t have been longer? I kept hearing strident, annoying fucking sound. Torture. » 

Was this man for real? 

« Really? I didn’t hear anything. Those walls are as thick as a titan butt» said the now happy woman.   
« Titan butt? Really? » the captain let an exasperated breath.   
« What’s wrong with titan butt?? »   
« It’s a fucking titan Hange »  
« And? »  
« Ok. My patience has been drained for the day. Go see Erwin »   
« You’re not coming? »   
« No. I have something to do here first. »   
« See you later Levi. And rest well young lady » she screamed from the corridor. 

Already exasperated enough, you decided to stand up from the bed, and if you were quite frank with yourself, trying to escape this room as fast as possible. Your feet on the ground you grab your right shoe to put it on. The captain didn’t move, still in his initial place. Hearing the sound of your boot his body turned to face your bed but not a single word came out of his mouth. He just stared at you. Deciding to ignore him you grab the second boot and put it on. As soon as you started walking, his body blocked your path. He was still a bit far from you, but his abrupt movement caught you off guard. 

« Where do you think you’re going? » 

Your anger crisis will have to wait. The sweet sentiment of fear came back to hunt your body. You were completely unable to move.   
Still, you tried to keep your head high and decided to pretend like his little act wasn’t working on you.

« I’m leaving the infirmary captain. I’m feeling much better » your tone was harsh, but the shakiness of your voice discredited you.   
« Captain huh? I see that my lesson worked. » He was looking directly into your eyes. His lifeless and empty gaze completely freezing you on the spot.   
« I wouldn’t say that. » Your eyes still planted on his, you frowned your eyebrows almost to challenge him.   
« Then why are you calling me captain? »   
« Because you asked me so. I didn’t know your status when you were crushing my shoulder blades. »   
« That’s exactly what I’m saying. You learned the lesson. »   
« I- listen, I didn’t learn no lesson, I wasn’t aware of your status, and I -» 

He moved so suddenly that you didn’t realize he left his spot before he was centimeters away from your face, who was now squished between the fingers of his right hand. His empty eyes were no more. He was looking at you with such intense hate that you had trouble recognizing the man. 

« Listen to me deep shit, your words not mine, talk to me like you just did and I would end you. Do you understand? ». Your cheeks were completely crushed between his fingers and as panic filled your body, an unwanted tear escaped the corner of your eye. 

Not hearing an answer coming out of you, he pushed your head back against the wall and blocked your body. You were completely trapped. You grabbed his hand to remove it from your face, but he caught it mid-air and pinned it down behind your back, unable to do a single move. 

« Try to touch me or move again, and you’ll wish you’d never did. » His voice was hard and rocky. 

Attempting to look at him, your head still tilted back, you looked in his direction. His gaze was still full of hate, but something new had appeared. You couldn’t tell what, but it was different. He looked at you for an intense 4 seconds before moving his body closer to you. His chest started to crush you against the wall, while his face dangerously began to get closer to yours. He let go of the strong grip of your face to tilt your head on the side. You could feel his breath moving from your cheek to your ear while his mouth stopped right next to it, his hair caressing your face.

« You had a lot to say in front of my colleague. Where is the attitude now cadet? » his whispering tingled your ear, and a mix of feelings took you by the stomach. Unable to answer you let out a small breath, asking him to let you go. 

You could felt his breathing traveling back to your cheek, leaving your ear finally a small break.   
He looked at you one last time without saying a single word before you felt his grip softening and completely letting you go. 

« There won’t be no second-time cadet. Disrespect me, speak to me like this again, and I will feed you to the titan myself » Still completely shocked you watched him leave the room, unable to move still glued to the wall, in the same position he put you in. 


	4. 4

————————————————————————————

***12 YEARS AGO***

« I can’t believe we only got this little for how much we paid. Your Cora is expensive! » Said, Isabel.  
« She is now. When the shop opened it was way cheaper. That’s exactly why we bought everything here. » Replied Farlan  
« Are the weapon’s quality even good? »   
« They’ve always been, let’s hope her supplier didn’t fuck with her. » Farlan replied to Isabel, but his mind was partially somewhere else.

Who was this kid in her shop? He never saw him before. Since when does this woman had a kid, and especially the patience to take care of one. She wouldn’t have agreed to take care of him as a favor, the woman was selfish and only care about her coins. So why did she had this child, or what made her agree to take care of one?   
The two friends were walking inside the dark alley that they knew so well, both of them carrying bags of the freshly acquired purchase of the day. Farlan slowed down his walking before looking on both sides. Seeing that the way was clear, the both of them took the stairs, leading them to a wooden door. Farlan knocked twice on it, paused, knocked one time, paused, and finished with three more knocks. After a couple of seconds, the handle started to move, and the door opened on a dark figure. 

« What took you so long?   
-Cora and I had a lot to talk about » laughed Farlan. He invited himself in before continuing  
« Did you know she had a kid? Like grandson type of kid.   
-Cora with a kid? Who paid her to keep it? » replied the man  
-That’s exactly what I was thinking the whole way here. That’s not in her habits to babysit.   
-Hey Levi! Look what Farlan got there! Those have brand new technology.» Said Isabel super excited to show her friend the new acquisitions of the day. 

He approached the bag, unzipped it, and plunged his hand inside the dark-clothed bag. Grabbing one of the knives, he stopped it at eye level. He twisted it in every direction to admire every angle of the weapon. 

« How much did she make you pay?  
-Around 3 000 » Replied Farlan  
« Bring it back. Either the old lady is started to lose her capacity to think properly, or she scammed you.   
-We both know that she loves her money, but I don’t think she’s stupid enough to scam us, Levi.   
-Well she just fucking did. Make her reimburse you. If it gets out that she's managed to fool us, a lot of people will try to do the same.   
-Alright, I’ll stop by tomorrow. I can’t believe that this old dusty woman fooled us.   
-Today Farlan. Rumors spread fast here and the walls have ears.   
-Alright alright. » Capitulated Farlan. He knew that he couldn’t fight Levi’s stubbornness.   
« I’ll make you some tea! It will be ready just in time when you’ll be back» Isabel tried to cheer him up. 

Smiling at her while crossing the door, Farlan thanked her. 

He had been walking for 15 minutes when he arrived at the angle of the street. Something was off. The streets of the underground couldn’t be qualified as crowded, but not a single person was out. His senses in alert, Farlan approached the shop with caution, when his step landed on a piece of glass, making it crack against the ground. He stopped to give it a closer look when he noticed a path of glass leading and stopping right in front of Cora’s shop. 

Shit. 

He rushed to the front door only to notice the entire glass of the store completely shattered. Trying to see if anyone was inside he shouted:

« Cora? Are you okay? »

No answer.

Suddenly his ears caught the sound of what seemed like a squeaky sound. 

Someone’s crying? 

« Cora? Are you in here?! » That’s when he suddenly remembered the existence of the child he saw earlier.

He precipitated himself inside the store entirely destroyed. The weapons hanging around the walls were now scattered everywhere on the floor, the furniture entirely smashed into pieces, and a good majority of the weapons had been stolen.   
Attempting to find the little boy, Farlan was trying his best to make his way through the debris. 

« Are you a bad guy? » said a small voice between two sobs. Following the voice, Farlan spotted a small shadow hidden between two pieces of broken wood. The kid was rolled into a ball, his hands covering his teary eyes. 

« Hey, big guy. It’s me from earlier » He approached the child slowly not to scare him, and carefully leaning over him to remove his hands.   
« See? I’m not going to hurt you »   
« Mister Farlan? » said the kid. Farlan looked at the child. His body was utterly shaking and his eyes looked like he saw the terror of the world.   
« What happened here? Do you know where Cora is? »   
« I don’t know. I was with miss Cora, and then, and then they were 3 misters in the shop, and then, well, they said to miss Cora to give her the money, because they said that miss Cora owed them money, and then miss Cora said she doesn’t have the money, and they starting to break everything here and they took- » the sobbing of the child intensified at every word he pronounced, he burst out crying not able to finish his sentence.   
« Alright it’s ok it’s ok. Try to calm down. The bad guys, are you sure they left?   
-I don’t know » replied the kid while wiping away the tears with the back of his hands.   
« Ok. We need to leave. Are you ok to come with me?  
-Yes » trying to push on his tiny legs, the child tried his best to stand up, but the shakiness of his muscles took over. Noticing, Farlan decided to take the lead. They couldn't afford to waste any more time. What if they came back?  
« I’m going to carry you ok? » 

  
The kid nodded. Farlan grabbed him, placed him on his back, and started leaving the shop. 

  
« Listen, kid. I don't know what these guys wanted, but let's try not to arouse suspicion. I’m bringing you somewhere safe, but you have to promise me to never tell anyone where. Can you do that for me?  
-Yes. Promise promise » replied the kid  
This said Farlan started to walk in the direction from where he was previously coming from. 

*Knock* *knock* 

*Knock* 

*knock* *knock* *knock* 

The door opened and Isabel’s eyes rounded with surprise. 

« Farlan? Why do you have Cora’s kid? » 

Hearing these words, Levi, who was drinking his regular cup of tea in the kitchen, immediately stand up to face the door. 

« Explain yourself Farlan. »

Slightly out of breath from the stairs, Farlan tried his best to describe to his two confused roommates, how he ended with a child on his back. 

« Where is Cora now? » Asked Levi   
« That’s what I tried to figure out. The kid told me they left with her. » 

Trying to ease the tension and the poor child Isabel approached him to keep him occupied while the two men debated in the room.

« Remember me? » She said with a generous smile on her face  
« Yes! You are miss Isabel from the shop » replied the kid with a small smile  
« Yes, that’s me! How are you feeling?  
-I’m ok, but I’m scared that the bad guys will come back. » he said while looking at his feet.  
« Don’t worry they won’t find you here, I promise » trying to comfort him, she left a few seconds to bring him a glass of water.   
« Can you tell me your name? » She asked while handing him the glass.  
« Miss Cora said to never tell my name to anyone.  
-I think she said that because she didn’t want anyone to hurt you. But we are your friends, I promise it will be a secret.   
-You promise promise?   
-I promise promise » She replied while escaping a tender laugh. 

The kid swung his feet to move forward from the chair and leaned close to Isabel's ear. He put his two hands across her ear and whispered 

« Aizen »

He stepped back to look at her while miming the word hush by placing a finger in front of his mouth. Isabel replied with the same move, pretended to lock her mouth with a key before throwing it in the air.   
He laughed while swinging his feet on the chair. 

« I am not keeping a child Farlan.   
-So what do you suggest? We leave him on the streets to starve? » 


	5. 5

***PRESENT DAY***

Coming back to your senses, you forced yourself to move from the wall. You had spent enough time away from your comrades and didn’t want your absence to be noticed longer. You gave yourself a mental slap and forced your legs to move. Walking along the corridor, your mind was still blocked on what just happened in the infirmary. The captain ignoring you, you yelling at him, him dangerously close to you. And this weird feeling you’ve just experienced. It felt like a knot to your stomach. 

Probably the fear.

Still trying to find your way inside this gigantic building, you followed the sound of din coming from right in front of you. Entering the room, you realized that everyone was already seated and had started eating. They were all chatting with each other and you couldn’t help yourself but thought that a lot of these tables’ discussion must have been about your encounter with the captain this morning. Still planted in the middle of the dining room, your eyes caught a hand movement on your left. Your head turned instinctively to look at it, and you noticed Armin waving at you to join them. Glad to see that you will not spend your meal alone you walked in his direction. You recognized the green-eyed boy, and the girl with the scarf although you couldn’t remember their name. 

« Y/n! Come join us. Mikasa and I went asking if we could grab your meal, in case you felt better and decided to come. » said Armin while pointing his finger between him and the red scarf girl back and forth. 

So the girl with the red scarf is named Mikasa. Noted. 

« Hey, Thank you! I really thought I will have to seat alone. » you laughed   
« Don’t worry, we’ve figured that the smell of food would have eventually brought you here. » Said a girl with her mouth full of food.   
« I’m Sasha by the way. Nice to meet you!  
-Nice to meet you too. Thank you for keeping me something to eat. » you said while avoiding their gaze.  
«You scared all of us back there when you collapsed, we thought you were Dead.» Emphasizing and punctuating his last word with big round eyes, and dramatic gestures the buzz-cut boy looked at you dead in the eyes.   
You felt taken aback and looked back at him without knowing what to respond. 

« Stop it, Connie! That’s not funny, you’re scaring her stupid » said Sasha   
« No, it’s ok don’t worry. » Understanding that the boy was joking you relaxed your shoulders and started eating.   
« Do you guys knew each other before coming here? » The question was on your mind the moment you sat down with them.

They look all so close, but the thought of such a big group of friends joining the army together felt weird to you. At least for you. If you had had such a group of friends you know that you wouldn’t have joined the scouts, too scared to never saw them again. 

« No » Replied Armin. « Mikasa, Eren, and I joined the scouts together. We’re from the same place. But Sasha and Connie, on the right, we met them when bringing you to the infirmary » He explained while pointing to each one of them to help you understand who was who. 

« Thank you by the way, for helping me earlier.   
-It's Alright, we wanted to help. Plus the captain didn’t seem to have held his punches. I hope you're feeling a bit better » said Eren   
« Yes. I do » 

Looking around you, you noticed that the dining hall was only filled with recruits. 

« The superiors don’t eat here? » you asked  
« No. They stopped by earlier to tell us that as today was our first day, they had a lot of things to organize. They will probably eat later though » replied Mikasa   
« Imagine having to wait and work while everyone else is eating!! This is pure torture! » Sasha looked sincerely terrified. She hastened to fill a piece of bread and potato, both at the same time, in her mouth, looking into the void, as if she remembered the war she hadn't lived.   
« Stop it, Sasha! You’re going to choke yourself stupid! » Said Connie while trying to grab the food in her hands.   
  
« RECRUITS! » The commander entered the room. His intervention warned everyone to stop talking.   
« I hope you filled your stomachs enough for today. I want everyone in the front filled in 10 minutes. The 3D practice will start today. » Not waiting for an answer he started walking back, before shouting.  
« Lateness will not be tolerated »

Everyone started to stand up and rushing out of the dining hall too scared to be late and facing a sanction. Your new friends started doing the same and panicked rushed through your body when you realized that they all grab their 3D gear.   
You hadn’t got the chance to stop by to pick yours. 

Fuck.

You had two options. Either arrive in time for the practice but without your 3D gear. Or go get your equipment but arrive late. The words of the commander echoing in your head, you decided that the better option was to follow your comrades and see then with the commander himself a solution to practice. 

In the field, all of the new recruits were already standing in lines facing the commander. You decided to stick around with your new friends and took the spot next to Connie who was standing at the end of the line. 

« Alright cadets, first we will start by showing you how to properly install your equipment. Listen carefully because I won’t be repeating myself. You will then form a group of 8 people. And finally, you and your group will go to one of the poles here » He stopped to point at a range of poles lined up. « And you will try to stand straight attached to them. An officer is waiting for each group in front of the designated pole. Is this clear for everyone? » 

The recruits all answered in unison with a firm Yes, while your brain was calculating how your body could stand straight with your legs dangling in the air. A voice took you out of your thoughts. 

« Y/N! Are you ok to join us for the groups? » Connie had turned his head towards you and was waiting for an answer.   
« Yes, sure! I’ll just have to quickly talk to the captain. I have to figure out if he’ll let me go grab my gear. »  
« Alright, you’ll see us at the pole when you’ll get back » Said Armin  
« I’ll be quick guys! » You respond while walking towards the commander, who was standing with his arm crossed analyzing how the recruits were creating the groups. 

« Commander? Sorry to bother you, I have a question to ask-  
-Look who’s here. How was your trip to the infirmary? » The question took you off guard, but you decided to simply answer in hope of getting him to say yes.   
« I feel better sir! » Your chest was pumped out, and your gaze assertive.   
« Good. What is the problem then?   
-Well speaking of the infirmary, since I passed out while everyone grabbed their equipment, I didn’t have the time to get mine. Is there a chance I can quickly go to retrieve it? » He looked at you for a long moment, probably wondering if he should scold you for not being prepared for the exercise, before realizing that it would just be a waste of time for the both of you.   
« Go. Quick.   
-Thank you, sir! »

Happy to escape from another insulting session with the commander you started to run, before realizing you had no idea where the buildings were. You turn embarrassed to look at the commander one last time. 

« Um, commander, do you know where the 3d gear building happens to be situated?   
-Try to think recruit. Where were you when you fainted? »   
Not sure of what he meant you looked at him with completely confused eyes. He must have detected it because he sighed before continuing:  
« I guess you won’t be one of the smart ones this year. You fainted right before getting equipped, you must have seen in which building the first lines of recruits got in earlier? Am I right? »  
Without answering you nodded a small yes with your head.   
« Now go back to where we all were this morning and just open your eyes. This is the only building there. »   
Too scared to ask for more details, you thanked the commander and walked in the direction you believed was the right one. 

After a good ten minutes, you finally arrived in front of the building. The stoned walls were not exactly what you would qualify as welcoming but it’s not like you had much of a choice. The door was already opened, so you decided to enter while warning whoever was inside of your presence. 

« Hello? Sorry, I didn’t get the chance to grab my gear earlier. Is there any chance I can pick it up? »   
« Come in young lady! »  
You recognized the voice from earlier. Hange!  
« Yes, sorry, are you responsible for the equipment?   
-Oh no dear. » Looking at you she paused before realizing:  
« I know you! You’re the recruits from the infirmary, aren’t you? »  
Nodding a quick yes, you tried to get her to understand that you didn’t have much time to chat. 

This woman is everywhere.

« Glad to see you feeling better. I’m not in charge of the equipment but I can still help you pick yours. What’s your name?  
-Y/N L/N.  
Diving her head in a wooded mall, she kept repeating your name again and again while searching for it.   
You were standing in the middle of the room praying for her to find it quick. 

*Knock* *Knock*

The sound of knuckles crashing against the window instantly turned your blood iced-cold and a rush of electricity ran through your entire body. It’s only when you saw Eren’s face that you allow yourself to relax.

« Sorry Major Hange. My name is Eren Yeager. I was ordered to escort Y/N L/N back to the training session » 

A small « Ah! » came out of Hange’s mouth when she found your name glued to a piece of leather.   
« There you go! » The woman yelled while putting your equipment in your face.   
« Alright, Eren you can bring her back. Now quick before the commander decide that you took too long. » She winked at you.

The both of you hurried up to joined the rest of your group by walking as fast as you could. The gear slowing you down, Eren offered to help you carried it to gain more time. The footsteps of a third person were starting to get closer to you, but you didn’t pay more attention than that. It’s only when you passed a part of your equipment to Eren that the owner of the steps decided to speak. 

« Not even able to carry your own equipment, I see. » 

This must be a joke. Is someone trying to make you lose all of your hair? God must be playing a joke on you. How is this man everywhere? 

Identifying the voice you decided to ignore it and prayed that Eren will do the same. Unfortunately, he suddenly turned back to the man to explained to him. 

« Captain Levi! I was just helping my comrade. We are late for the training and her gear was slowing her down.   
-If your gear is slowing you down when it’s not even attached to you, you won’t last long once you will cross the walls. » 

Was he trying to get under your skin? Why was he so determined to mess with your head? 

Resolved to not show him how it affected you, you riposted

« With all due respect Captain, I haven’t started the training yet. But I’m a fast learner, I’m sure that in a few weeks this equipment will feel like my second skin.  
-In a few weeks? Tch. At least you’re optimistic. A dumb one. But an optimistic. » Fed up with this man messing with you every time he crosses your path, you turned to face him. His face was still harboring a disinterested expression.  
« Optimistic or not I can promise you that this equipment will be light as a feather in a moment! »  
At the mention of these words, you saw his muscles tighten up. He looked directly into your eyes before adding:  
« Never make a promise you can’t keep, cadet. » Taken aback by what he just said you looked at him with your mouth opened waiting for some words to come out.

The captain must have had enough sadistic joy for now because he suddenly decided to leave, walking right past you. You decided to shout the first thing that came to your mind:

« And what do you know about promises? I doubt that you even have a single idea of what it is! » 

He abruptly stopped in his track his back still facing the both of you.   
After a couple of seconds that felt like hours, he left without even looking back at you. 


	6. Chapter 6

*12 YEARS AGO*

The door creaked as Levi pushed it. The day had been exhausting enough and all he was thinking about since he left the house was to get himself a cup of tea with the new set he just bought this morning. His first real expensive gift. He deserved it, with all the hard work he and his two other friends had put in. Having a fourth mouth to feed every day, was costing more money than he could’ve thought. Walking to the kitchen he let escaped a relieved breath before preparing his cup. 

« Ah, you’re home! I knew I heard the door! » Isabel was coming out of her room and sat herself to the table. 

Without answering yet, Levi joined her and poured the boiling water into his cup before grabbing a second one for his friend. 

« So? How did it go? » she was so impatient to hear what he has to said.   
« He said that he has heard of similar names, but he’s not sure. He’s gonna try to find out more. I have another meeting with him tomorrow.   
-Argh. So we have to wait again?   
-Exactly » Levi replied before grabbing his tea handle and drinking a sip of his hot liquid. 

The two friends heard two pairs of footsteps arriving a the top of the stairs, outside the door. Isabel smiled knowing Farlan and Aizan had come back from their daily walk. Both of their voices could be heard from inside: 

« Can I do it this time pleaaaaase?   
-Alright if you want. Do you remember what it is?  
-Yes yes yes! »

*Knock* *Knock*

*Knock* 

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*   
  
The door opened and Levi and Isabel could see Aizan smile going up to his ears from across the room. 

« Waaaaw. It’s like a secret code » said the child delighted to participate in what his kid’s mind thought was a game.   
« It's exactly what it is. This is the code we use to make sure only we can enter. It’s to recognize who is behind the door.  
-This is so so cool! »  
Running to the kitchen Aizan ran up to Isabel and jumped on her.   
« Did you see that Isabel? I opened the door today!  
-Yes I saw that! And you did it like a champ! » Hearing this Aizan got so excited he started to jump all around the room screaming « I opened the door, I opened the door! » Noticing that Levi hasn’t moved from his chair since they entered he ran up to him and started doing the same thing. Jumping and screaming:   
« Levi! Levi! I opened the door! Did you saw that?   
-Yes I saw Aizan. » He was preparing to drunk another sip of his tea when Aizan pushed his hands in the air to celebrate his big accomplishment of the day. His tiny fists landed in the cup in the air, breaking it right at the handle. The cup detached itself from the handle effortlessly and ended its trajectory on the ground, completely shattering on the floor.   
A dangerous silence placed itself in the room. Farlan seeing what was coming tried to step in.   
« Levi! He didn’t mean to, he’s just a kid. » 

Not hearing a single word his friend said, Levi, his hand still in the air with the handle attached to it, finally let it go to crash on the ground. He suddenly turned to Aizan while rage filled his eyes. 

« Clean it up. Clean it up now!   
-I’ m sorry Levi, it was an accident I promise.   
-I don’t care if this was an accident, I don’t give a damn if you promise or not. You’re going to clean this up right now! » 

The child not knowing how to respond to this sudden burst of rage was trying to contain his incoming tears. But as soon as he crossed Levi’s gaze again, unable to hold them in, he began to cry uncontrollably.   
Isabel and Farlan knew that Levi was short-tempered, but to unleash at this child didn’t sit well with them. 

« Levi! Stop this right now! He’s just a child for god sake! » she screamed at him  
« He was just happy to finally knock on the door, he has been asking me all week about it. You can’t blame a child for being expressive » added Farlan.   
Hearing those words Aizan ran away from the kitchen to go hide in the room. 

« You two don’t understand, I don’t care if he’s a child. I worked my ass off to pay for his food. I'm taking care of a fucking kid, while I'm fourteen years old. I was finally able to buy a thing that I wanted for a long time, and he just came in and broke it in a few seconds. He needs to understand certain things in life and being calm and controlled is one of them.   
-He is eight years idiot, how can you expect him to act like an adult. » added Isabel  
« Yeah try to remember what it is to be a kid, how you were when you were his age.» Farlan said   
«When I was his age I waited next to the dead body of my mother, to later be saved by a man who disappeared overnight, without a single fucking warning. We all have our own shits »   
Realizing he had gone a bit too far, Farlan tried to explain himself better.   
« Then you must understand how he must feel. The boy witnessed Cora’s shop gets attacked, kidnapped, and is now living with complete strangers because we can’t find his family. »   
« Please Levi, go talk to him.» Added Isabel.   
Understanding his reaction may have been a bit extreme, Levi swallowed his pride and went to see Aizan. 

He stopped at the door, before turning the handle and entering the room. The kid was lying on Farlan’s bed, his face buried into the mattress trying to silence his sobbing. Hearing Levi entering, he immediately sat down and wiped down his tears with the back of his sleeve.   
« I’m sorry Levi. I didn’t mean to broke your cup »   
Feeling for the kid Levi let a deep breath before leaning back against the wall next to the bed.   
« Don’t worry, I have two others left. »  
He knew he wasn’t the best to express regrets. In fact, no matter how hard he tried, he was incapable of remembering the last time he apologized to someone.   
A long silence settled in the room. After a couple of minutes, Levi finally started.   
« I shouldn’t have talked to you like that. I’m sorry »   
The word burnt his tongue, and his pride felt ripped apart. It physically hurt him.   
At this word, Aizan eyes sparkled a little, and a small spark of joy went through his gaze.   
« You’re not mad at me then?   
-No I’m not mad at you.   
-You promise promise? » 

Levi looked at the kid. 

« Yes. I promise.  
-No. You have to Promise Promise Levi.   
-I just did.   
-No you said, « I promise ». A lot of people say that and they are always lying. When you tell the truth you have to « promise promise ». 

A small sigh escaped his mouth, while he rubbed his temples. Seeing that Aizan was still waiting for an answer he then proceeds to say the words. 

« Alright, I promise promise. » Aizan face light up with joy before standing up from the bed. He ran in the direction of Levi and stopped in his track to hug him. Completely caught off guard and not knowing what to do, Levi stood there, still, with his hands dangling in the air. After a few seconds, Levi patted the kid’s head and gave him a small smile.   
Almost forgetting what happened, Aizan rushed to the kitchen to see Isabel and Farlan.   



	7. 7

*PRESENT DAY*  
Speeding towards the training field with Eren, you stopped a few seconds to look for your group. The wind was blowing hard and you had to push your hair away from your face to see correctly. Noticing a blond head and a red scarf next to him, you grabbed Eren by the arm to inform him and walked in their direction. Still struggling to carry the equipment that was bouncing in your arms, you tried as best as you could to not drop your new precious gear. Once arrived at your designated poles, Armin and Mikasa helped you put on the leather harness around your body, tightening it enough so it wouldn’t slip.  
Connie was already in the middle of the three poles, his harness tied up at both ends to two ropes. Sasha was pulling one of the ropes while another boy took care of the second one. You tried to remember his face as much as you could but failed. 

« Hey, Armin. Who’s the other boy pulling Connie up?  
-His name is Jean. We met him this morning.  
-Yeah. He’s a fucking prick. » Eren said  
« Why? Did something happen?  
-Let’s say that. » Replied Armin laughing while rubbing the back of his head.  
-He came at you for no reason.  
-If you don’t get along together why did you take him in the group? » you wondered.  
-The groups were uneven, so the commander chose Jean to join us. » Replied Armin 

Connie was finally at the top of the poles trying as much as he could to kept his balance. Swinging his feet in different directions to stabilize himself, the poor boy was having trouble staying straight. Sasha still gripped at one of the ropes maintaining him, had to pull her entire weight on the ground, and was now sitting in the grass. Seeing her battling, Mikasa joined her to distribute more weight.  
The moment her hands tied around the rope and pulled it, Connie’s body was powered in one swoop, almost Putting him in a lying position. 

« Are you all insane? Put me down!  
-What’s that Connie? I can’t hear what you are saying from this far » Replied Sasha, having trouble containing her laughter. 

It’s almost like Jean felt his pride being stabbed. Seeing what was coming, you hurried to shout.  
« Jean, don’t do it! »

But it was too late. He tightened his muscles around the rope, took a deep breath, and pulled it as hard as he could. Armin, Eren and you could only watch what was happening, helpless. Following the pressure of the rope, Connie’s body was skyrocketed in the air. The lack of weight caused the rope to loosen totally, before Connie’s body was pulled down due to gravity. Once he arrived at level, the ropes completely tightened, putting Sasha, Mikasa, and Jean in difficulty to not let go of them, before pulling on it as hard as they could. His downfall suddenly stopped under the tensed ropes, raising the harness attached around his crotch.  
The screamed that he made could’ve awakened the dead. Hearing this, the officer that was supposed to be watching your group, left the girl he was trying to seduce, to rush in your direction. 

« What’s all these agitation cadets?! » 

The poor Connie was still dangling in the air with his eyes shut, trying to make the pain go away. The pitchy voice he made while asking to be put on the ground, informed all of you that, indeed, shutting his eyes did not make a difference. Mikasa, Sasha, and Jean hurried to bring him down on safe land. Once his feet touched the ground he rolled into a ball with his hands attached to his intimate parts. 

« Why did you do that. Stupid idiots, stupid idiots... » his voice was low and high at the same time, almost like a bird whispering.  
« Bring him to the infirmary. Now! » shouted the officer. 

Eren baffled by the audacity the man had, couldn’t help himself. 

« That’s funny considering that you were supposed to be watching us and giving instructions. Where were you?  
\- Cadet do not try to be cocky with me. You are all in the wrong here!  
\- And you’re not? Wait till the commander come to check on us. He will be delighted to hear how this happened. » 

Speaking of the commander. Connie’s scream had already alerted him, and he was now walking in your direction. 

« What am I going to be delighted about? » He said while placing himself in front of the rolled-up body of Connie.  
« Commander. The new recruits did not listen to my instructions and caused one of their peers to be injured. » 

You couldn’t believe your ears. Were all the officers deep shit in here? 

« Sir that is not what happe- » Jean tried to step in  
« Recruits. I don’t remember asking you to speak. I will refer to your officer and your officer only. » 

Understanding by now that this man was stubborn, you didn’t say anything. Too scared that your intervention could put you and your group into trouble. 

« That’s all I needed to know. » continued the commander. « All of you, you will be sanctioned for the trouble you caused. You will be deprived of dinner for tonight, and to complete the punishment, each of you will have to run 15km and do 300 push-ups. Before tomorrow morning. » 

If you knew that the punishment would have been this severe you would have spoken when shitty officer lied. But it was too late. Anything you would have said will just pass as a lie to the commander’s ear.  
The nurse and the stretcher arrived to pick Connie, and you and the group watched him leave. 

As the sun set down, you watched your comrades leave the training field in the direction of the lunchroom. The training had lasted the entire afternoon, and it felt like days had passed for you and your group. After Connie left for the infirmary, you all were punished from training and had to watch the other recruits practice. You were informed that an officer will come to supervise your sanction. To make sure you were doing it, probably. As the darkness of the evening settled in, the field was now cleared of any other recruits. 

5 minutes. 

10 minutes. 

20 minutes. 

And still, not one officer on the horizon. 

« Are we supposed to wait and freeze to our deaths? » Jean stated.  
« Please sweet lord, I don’t care if we die, but allow me one last meal. Even a small piece of bread, I don’t mind. » Sasha was trying to suppress the image of all the cadets enjoying their delicious evening meal.  
« Well to be fair, if you hadn’t let your stupid pride get the upper hand we wouldn’t be here.» Mikasa was pissed. If this man wasn’t so ego-centered none of this would have happened.  
« And what make you say that? I'll have you say that if you hadn't pulled like a madwoman I wouldn't have had to compensate on the other side.  
-Compensate? Please, Jean, you were totally baffled by her strength. » Said Eren.  
« Easy for you to say. You chose to go on a nice little walk to pick miss « I faint when the sun is too damn bright », while I volunteered to lift Connie in the air. » 

Hearing this made your blood boil. You understood now why Eren and Armin were not fond of him. Before any of you could respond, you saw a female figure walking in your direction. 

« Finally. I think the officer is here guys. » 

Her glasses were reflecting with the lights of the buildings. Her blond hair was cut to her ears, and you couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t seem very happy to be here. She approached the group before starting

« Let’s start the presentation by saying that I won’t be thanking you for being here. Your stupidity and immaturity caused all of us to be reunited here tonight. » 

All of you didn’t dare to speak and listen to the woman carefully. 

« My name is officer Brzenska and as you may have understood by now, I will be supervising you tonight. » She paused a moment to take a good look at all of you. « Alright, let’s not waste any more time. I don’t have any other instructions. You can start the running session now. » 

At this, all of you stood up without contesting her orders. You started to run without too much involvement, letting your feet drag against the ground. Sasha was running exactly like you were, while Eren and Jean entered a competition to prove who was better. Armin and Mikasa were right behind them, whereas Sasha and you labored to follow. Cardio was never your strong point and this 15kms footing was here to remind you. Sasha tried to start a conversation with you on what happened earlier, but the look you gave her mixed with your breathing, informed her that the little chat would have to wait.  
An hour and a half later Jean and Eren finished running, followed 15 minutes later by Mikasa and Armin. You and Sasha on the other end completed the race in 2 hours. Officer Brzenska hadn’t moved from her initial spot and was waiting for all of you to join her, her legs and arms crossed. She then proceeds to take out a basket filled with bread and apples, before grabbing one of the fruits and bite into it. All of this while looking at all of you. Sasha completely decomposed herself while her mouth opened every time the officer took a bite. 

« Alright, now that everyone finished, I’ll allow you 10 minutes to recover, and then you’ll start the push-ups  
« 10 minutes? Only? » you replied with a halting breath, your face colored with a bright red.  
« You heard me right. 10 minutes. No more no less. »  
You capitulated and decided to embrace these short minutes of break to catch your breath. It’s not like you were in a state to negotiate. 

10 minutes later, officer Brzenska stood up to notify you that the push-ups series will start. Still a little out of breath, you had no choice but to follow your comrades. All of you placed in a circle, facing each other, waiting for the officer to give you the go. She proceeded in a count down from three to one, before yelling at you to start.  
You had thought about the best technique to keep your endurance and a way to avoid sore muscles. What you had in mind was to start slow and keep your rhythm constant to not suffocate yourself as you did during the footing.  
1 push-up, 2 push-ups, 3 push-ups.  
You were counting them in your head to not lose track, while watching the others and how they were doing. Jean and Eren were doing fine, it looks like this was normal to them. They were not even breathless. Same for Mikasa, it was a child’s play for her. Armin and Sasha were at the same pace and only you started to lose your breath. 

20 minutes later, you started to face difficulty. Your muscles were tightening sweat was dripping from your forehead, sliding down your cheeks to your chin. Your face was even redder than before -if that was even possible- and you could feel your clothes completely glued to your body. Your shirt was dripping wet and plastered on your back, almost like a second skin. Your pants, which were already pretty tight, were now completely following the shape of your legs and butt. You could feel your boots sliding on the grass due to the repetitive movement that dug a hole in the ground.  
Struggling to keep the position, you pushed yourself, even more, to not let your mental state took over. You knew that if you thought for even a minute to relax, your body will collapse on the ground.  
Your arms were started to shake, having trouble carrying the weight of your body. 

« At least it looks like the punishment is starting to work. » 

You didn’t even hear him approach. You were so focused on not failing, that you put yourself in a bubble. Unable to speak, the only answer you could give him was a side look. Your eyelashes were carrying a drop of sweats, and your breathing was heavy. He was crouched between you and Sasha, but his body was turned to face you, and you could feel his gaze on you. Analyzing every single move you were doing. 

« You got the wrong position cadet. No wonder that you are red as a tomato. » 

Again, you didn’t respond, you couldn’t. But every part of you was screaming to this man to go fuck himself. 

« Your elbows are inside. You are depriving your lungs of air » 

Fucking Captain Levi. 

You decided to move your elbows outwards, partly because you were truly struggling, but it pained you to put in practice the captain's advice. Giving a second look at the man, you realized that his face was now harboring a smirk on the corner of his mouth.  
Understanding that he was having too much pleasure to see you suffering, you decided to speed up.  
Increasing the number of push-ups, you could feel immediately that it was a bad idea. Even though you moved your elbows, the pace that you decided to use was way too intense for you. You could feel your body warning you. Your breath was halting even more than before, your clothes started to move on your body due to the amount of sweat increasing, you even felt your shirt starting to rise on your back, letting a bit of your back’s skin to show, but you were too focused to pay attention to it. Suddenly, a cramp decided to attack your right calf, making you grunt from the pain.  
Paying more attention to you than he even did before, Levi was scrutinizing you to see if you would flinch under the pain. His eyes wandered over your body starting from your boots to your thighs until they stopped at the exposed skin that was peaking under your shirt. 

« What’s that? » he asked. The machiavellian tone of his voice got suddenly replaced by a more serious one. 

Not knowing what he meant you ignored him and continued to focus.  
His hand left his knee to slowly fly over you. One of his fingers laid on your skin to trace the beginning of the scar that was peaking under your shirt.  
Instantly feeling it, your entire body contracted and the unpleasant feeling made you abandoned your exercise without even noticing. That was a sensitive spot to you. Even in your everyday life, during showers, getting dressed, lying in bed you were always careful to not touch this part of your back. Because every time that something was in contact with it, even a small brush, it would throw electricity traveling in your entire back, almost like a thousand needles were poking you. 

« Don’t touch me!  
-Why? » He replied, not even bewildered by your reaction  
-Because. Just don’t. » You were now sitting on the grass, facing him, but still unable to look at him in the eyes.  
« How did you get it?  
-Like it’s any of your business.  
-I’m your superior cadet. I should know.  
-And What difference it would make? Huh? » 

At these words, he decided to change the question and ask again. 

« Does it hurt? Because the way you just threw yourself on the grass was pretty self-explanatory» 

From the corner of your eye, you could see the others giving the two of you quick looks to see what was happening.  
Not trying to satisfy his curiosity you ignored him, and placed yourself back in position to continue the push-ups. You flipped on your belly, lied down, before pushing on your arms to pursue the exercise. But still, the captain’s eyes were focused on you. Without saying a word, he stood up and left, walking back from the direction he arrived. 

Once all of you finally finished the endless punishment, officer Brzenska dismissed you to go back to your quarters. Your muscles were sore, and you could feel yourself having trouble putting one foot in front of the other. All you wanted to do was to go get a shower and sleep. The day had been exhausting and you needed a break. Plus, you were a bit existed to know who you will share your room with. Earlier, you heard some recruits talking about who they got, but your trip to the infirmary got you occupied. 

Following the others, you entered the building and climb the stairs to the first floor where the rooms were. A multitude of doors was aligned in the corridor and you started searching for the one with your name on it. Sasha who was a bit further down the corridor waved at you and asked you to come. You joined her, and the both of you were now facing the same door. 

« I guess we are sharing a room. » She said happily. 

Glad to be sharing your space with someone you already knew, you replied to her with a big smile. You all said goodnight to the others and entered your room. 

The first thing you saw was the two beds. One on the right side the other on the left one. Next to the door was a closet divided in two, probably so the both of you could have a place to put your own clothes, and on each side of the two beds was a bedside table.  
Exhausted from the long day, you informed Sasha that you will go take a shower before going to bed. 

20 minutes later you were finally able to fall asleep, and rest


	8. 8

11 YEARS AGO

The atmosphere of the day was heavier than usual. Living in the Underground was not fun, and you could feel the misery suffocating the air. But what made the air of the small house up the stairs tenser, was the long-awaited discussion that was about to take place.  
Farlan, Isabel, and Levi were sitting in their usual tea time spot. Around the round table, the two friends were impatient to hear what Information Levi managed to get. 

« Are you going to finally talk? I can’t wait any longer! » Isabel started to get fidgety on her chair.  
On the other side of the table, Levi was drinking a small sip of his tea, thinking how to announce the news to them. 

« I’ve talked with the informer. He was able to trace them. » He finally said, putting his cup on the wooded table. 

Isabel and Farlan were now extremely attentive, eager to know all the details. However, they couldn’t help but feel their heart tighten a bit.  
Aizan had been with them for a year now, and he became apart of their everyday life. They got used to his presence and learned to appreciate this little kid. Even Levi had let his cold heart melted a bit for the kid. 

During this year, the three of them kept looking non-stop to find his family, parents, or even a relative. Their researches had been unsuccessful, until today. Levi’s informer was finally able to get a lead on who his family might have been. 

« He told me that a couple on the Westside had a missing child.  
-And? That’s it? » Replied Farlan not impressed by the information. « There isn’t any other clue that could confirm that it could be his family? » 

« If you would’ve let me finish you would’ve learned more » Levi replied. « A couple on the Westside, with a missing child, that goes by the name of Aizan » He took another sip of his tea, probably to suppress the lump that was starting to form in his throat, while still harboring a disinterested expression.

« It’s not like Aizan was a common name. Especially in here. » He continued.

Farlan and Isabel were now eating every word Levi was saying. He told them how the informer was able to find out that the kid had been kidnap by a group that seemed to be close to Cora’s family. The parents of the child owed money to her, seeing that they were too long to pay her back, she decided to kidnap the kid as rançon. 

« So Aizan was never Cora’s grandchildren? » Asked Isabel completely shocked.  
« That would explain why she didn’t want us to know his name when we saw him in the shop that day. » Replied Farlan  
« I think. The old woman was never trying to protect him. She just needed her money and was ready to use all means » Said, Levi.  
« Did you manage to get an address? » Despite hiding it, Isabel was completely crushed.  
« Yes. He informed the parents about us. We scheduled a meeting today, in 2 hours.  
-We have to tell him. » Said Farlan. His frowned eyebrows betrayed the uninterested expression he was trying to show.  
« I’ll do it» Said, Isabel. « I’ll probably be more gentle than the both of you»

After going to Aizan’s room, who was playing with a small wooded train, she explained to him that they were finally able to find his parents. Hearing the good news the child was utterly delighted and packed his stuff at the speed of lightning. 

The four of them were now walking the long dirt road. Living in the East of the Underground, Aizan’s parents lived at the complete opposite. Farlan was carrying the bag full of the kid’s clothes and Isabel was holding his hand, chatting with him, trying to enjoy the last moment. Levi was walking behind them, silent as always. 

« Levi? Would you allow me to come back to see you, Isabel, and Farlan?» The kid turned around abruptly, caughting Levi off guard. Of course, he will always be welcome to their place, however, Levi didn’t want anyone else to know where the three of them lived. 

« Only if you come by yourself. You have to promise to never show this place to anyone. » Seeing Levi hesitating, Farlan replied.  
« I already told you Farlan. I promise promise. I promise promise Levi, I’ll always come alone! »  
A slight smile on his face, Levi agreed.  
« But don’t forget the code, or we won't able to open the door. Do you remember what it is? » Levi asked him  
« Yes! It’s two knocks first, then one knock, and then you finish with three more!  
-That’s right » 

The group had been walking for 2 hours, before finally arriving in front of a small wooded house. The size looked decent compared to the other habitations of the Underground, but it was in such a bad state that it looked as if it had been abandoned. Two windows had been broken, and in an attempt to fix it, the owners had placed sheets to fill in the gaps. The door was not entirely closed, and several wooden pallets that were holding the roof were ready to fall. 

Climbing the three small steps in front of the door, Levi knocked on it when he arrived in front.  
A woman with brown hair opened the door. The eye bags under her eyes were showing the long sleepless nights she had endured, and her damaged hands showed the years of hard work.  
Her confused eyes stopped on Levi, before focusing right behind him and look at the tiny kid. 

« Aizan! » The woman screamed out of her lungs.  
Uncontrollable sobs started to leave her body, while tears in her eyes started building before pouring endlessly on her face. She ran towards him until she could touch and hug him, making sure she was not dreaming. Aizan returned the hug by wrapping his arms around her neck.  
Another silouhette approched the front door.

When Aizan saw him, he immediately let go of his mom, asking her to let him down, to run towards him. 

« Dad!! » 

After a long hug, the both of them looked at each other before smiling. His father put him down, before looking at the three friends to thank them.

« Is she with you? Have you seen her Aizan? » Asked her mom.  
« No. I’m sorry mommy I lost her » Replied Aizan, looking on the ground. His joyful face had been replaced by a sadder expression.

A silence settled down for a short moment before Aizan’s dad continued. 

« Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. How did you found him?  
-We went to Cora’s shop last year to buy some furniture and the little guy was with her. When I went back her store had been robbed and he was all alone. » Replied Farlan  
« He came back with him. We couldn’t abandon him to his fate, so he has been living with us since. » continued Isabel  
« Thank you so much. How could we pay you back? Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of money. But I’m an excellent cook! I could prepare some dishes if you’d like. » Said the mom. 

« Your very generous madam but we have to go back. The road to come here was pretty long, we would like to be there before night time. » Levi said.  



	9. 9

PRESENT DAY

Being in the scouts was exactly as you expected. It was hard, it was draining, your entire body hurt and your muscles were stiff all the time. But strangely, you felt at home there. You’ve been in the military for 8 months and acclimated yourself pretty well. You were able to hang out with Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Connie, Sasha, and Jean all the time. The training helped you with your mental state and forced you to push yourself all the time, the meal that was served to you was decent, but sharing it with your friends made it special, and the most important to you, you found your purpose in life. You wanted to protect the people, protect the ones that couldn’t. That was the idea that kept you motivated and pushed further at the training. 

During those months a lot had happened.   
2 months ago, the Titans breached inside the walls for the second time. All of the recruits were ordered to fight and defend the civilians. Just thinking about it made you furious. All of the lives taken that day, all of the comrades you lost, the vision of blood painting the walls, your peers getting chewed in pieces, the scream of despair and agony. Every time you thought about it, you wanted to throw up. But the thing that will stick in your memory until your last breath, was when you witnessed Eren's transformation. A few hours ago that day, Armin had told you and the group that he had sacrificed himself to save him. The poor blond boy was inconsolable. It’s only when you approached the center of the city, that you all stop to watch a titan fighting against his kind. You only recognized him, when exhausted by his battle, his body breached through the neck of his titan.   
After the discovery a lot of people tried to fire him from the army, others wanted him dead, some even wanted to do some research on his body. Terrifying.   
But finally, Commander Erwin with a strategic plan managed to convince the assembly to keep him alive and train within the Survey Corps.   
Since that day Eren has been training under the supervision of captain Levi, in his special operations squad, while working on controlling his titan form with Hange Zoe. 

Meanwhile, you and the others kept following the training sessions until the last final day. Armin, Mikasa, Sasha, Connie, Jean, and yourself decided to join Eren in the Survey corps even though the squad leader was captain Levi. You knew it wouldn’t be easy having to follow the order of the man that persecuted you on your first day. But if you survived the Titans you could survive being under the orders of the captain. 

Your first expedition with your new squad was about to start. The information you and the others got were not very specific, but you were told that the main goal of the mission was to explore the part of the walls that had fallen under the Titans.   
Behind the giant door, the entire squad was waiting for the commander to give the go. Already seated on your horse, you tightened your grip on the reins and straightened your back. The brown doors that were blocking the outside opened slowly as the commander shouted to charge. A massive cloud of dust invaded your vision as the hooves of the horses banged against the ground. A rush of blood traveled from your head to your toes as you started galloping.

What will you find there? What if you are outnumbered? What if your friends perished?   
No.  
You had to get those thoughts out of your head. Negative thoughts would only result in negative actions. Shaking your head as if to flush down the terrible thoughts that were starting to grow, you focused your gaze on your squad leader, captain Levi, waiting for him to give the instructions. Lifting his right arm in the East direction, you obey immediately and pulled the reins on the right to follow the group. You had no idea where you were going. All you knew was to follow the orders. You had to trust the judgment of your superiors. So you kept galloping, along with the others, until you reached a plain with some trees here and there. If you looked with more attention, you could start to see the edges of the walls that had fallen months ago. But something triggered your curiosity. Not once since you’ve entered enemy territory, you’ve met a single Titan. 

Are they all inside the walls?   
Did they leave the place?   
Was it because they were no humans left? 

Suddenly, a distant, muffled rumble cut you off in your thoughts. The ground started to shake. Roughly like a harmony. Surprisingly regular, almost like someone was running. Following the head movements of your comrades, you turned yours in the direction of the sound, before seeing a vision of horror that froze your blood.  
A Titan running at an impressive speed, his muscles visible with no skin on them, and blond hair bouncing in the air. Practically as if he felt your fear, his gaze landed abruptly on your group before changing his direction and rushing towards you. 

« Captain, a deviant coming on us from the right. » you shouted out of your lungs.   
« Nobody moves. The squad of captain Shadis will take care of it. Maintain your position. » 

Impassive as always Levi was looking straight in front of him, keeping his focus on the walls that were starting to get closer. He then proceeds to change direction before heading towards a field of trees, that were gathered in the middle of the deserted expanse. Following his horse and the rest of your squad, you couldn’t help but check on the captain Shadis and his man. Three of his members were already taking care of the Titan while two others were still galloping in his direction.   
Then, everything happened so fast.   
One man, who had hung his grappling hook on the Titan shoulder, was powered in the air, before crashing on the ground. The second one was trying to come for the neck, before being squeezed between the palm of the gigantic hand and the nape of its neck. Seeing this, the third one changed his trajectory, hooked his grappling in the tree trunk on his left, in the hope of shearing his tendons. His attempt ended very quickly, stopped by a foot, crushing him under the colossal weight.   
As you witnessed the terrifying scene, a gag took you by the stomach at the sight of blood filling the grassy field.   
Ending the last two remaining members by a swoop of the foot, the Titan was getting dangerously close to you. He would have probably reached you if you hadn’t entered the forest. 

« Everyone. Jump of the horses. We’re switching to 3D maneuvering » 

Executing the orders, you rushed to aim for the first tree that crossed your gaze. Your shaky hands, not making your task any easier, forced you to grab your arm with your left hand in an attempt to stabilize your dominant arm. 

« Aim, control, and shoot. »  
« Aim, control, and shoot. »

You kept repeating the words that were taught during training. Finally securing the targeted trunk, you pushed on the handle of your equipment, before being powered in the air, ending your trajectory on one of the tree’s branches. You quickly watched as your group members did the same, before gathering your thoughts and following them deeper in the forest.   
As you move forward, you tried to create a path between the branches that cut your cheeks, and the big ones that could have stopped your race. Adrenaline was invading your body, and you tried your best to stay focused on your track despite your mind rushing and going everywhere from the fear. Jean was right in front of you and you had to try extremely hard to not lose him. 

« Spread out! Massive group of deviant in front of us. » the captain shouted. 

You kept trying to move forward while listening to the orders. In an attempt to see where the Titan behind you was, you turned your head quickly, before being hit by something big. Your hook lost its grip, and your entire body engaged an endless fall. Your reflex not quick enough, all you could do was scream and close your eyes, too scared to see the ground getting closer to you.   
Suddenly, you were not falling anymore, and a pair of arms were wrapped around your body, one supporting your neck, the other right under your knees. You finally open your eyes to see Jean’s face just above yours, struggling to carry his weight and yours on safe land. He finally landed on a tree before putting you down. 

« Be careful, I’m not trying to lose anyone today. » A quick smile appeared on his face. You tried to say a « thank you » but the fear had cut your breath completely. Instead, you just nodded before following him along. 

Your squad being completely trapped by the group of deviants, captain Levi ordered a fallback. Before any of you could start leaving your position, a terrifying scream swallowed the entire forest. Shivers traveled your skin and made your hair stand up on your arms. Looking in the direction of the sound, you saw the Titan that was following you, completely trapped under hundreds of cables, unable to move. The scream it made did something that you can’t still explain. Immediately after the scream, the deviants that were blocking your path rushed towards the trapped Titan before starting to devour its flesh. It’s almost like he was asking for help. A scream of despair.   
Once completely eaten, the deviants focused back on all of the humans around them.   
About 40 Titans running in every direction, stretching their arms in the trees to grab as many of you as they could.   
Trying to escape this chaos, your squad withdraws from the spot you were.   
Captain Levi ordered you all to follow him, before guiding the group to an abandoned village, that must have been destroyed when the Titans had taken possession of the walls. 

« We’re outnumbered, if we stay uncovered we will end up as their afternoon snack. Everyone hides in the buildings. Now! »  
He suddenly changed direction, sending his grappling hook through a broken window, landing inside the house. You decided to follow him, as the squad did the same. 

Having to wait for the Titans to spread out, the entire squad was trapped inside the small walls, that was once, the safe place of a family. The stone walls still intact, you couldn’t say the same for the inside of the house. The table in the kitchen was overturned, and the meal that used to be on top of it was scattered everywhere. Same for the chair. Three of the four were broken, and if you looked closely you could see drops of dry blood on it. The painting that used to sit on the walls were either on the ground or about to be, and the door was lying on the floor inside the house.  
Sasha and Armin sat in one of the corners of the room and everyone else followed them. You all naturally sat in a circle, Mikasa on your right, Connie on your left. Next to him, were Sasha, Armin, and Eren. And completing the circle was captain Levi, right in front of you. 

« We’re going to be here for a moment cadets. By the position of the sun, I’m guessing that it might be around two in the afternoon. We will leave when the nightfall. We have approximately five hours, so rest, talk I don’t care. But I want you all rested and ready to leave when I will say so. » 

The captain rested his head on the wall behind him, his arms crossed, waiting for the time to pass. The rest of you decided to try and make the time pass as fast as you could, and as usual, engaged in passionate discussions about life. Connie talked about his family and how growing in his small village was something he was very proud of. He also told us about the amazing pies his mom used to make him every time he came back from a long day helping his dad. Armin told us how his grandfather was, despite his age, very young in his head, and never stopped dreaming about the outside world. Mikasa didn’t say much, but you could tell how she listened attentively. Eren talked about how his mom used to took care of him when he came back home with bruises. On the other hand, you stayed silent. It’s only when Sasha asked you the question a third time, that you realized you had zoned out, lost in your thoughts. 

« Sorry what? »   
« I said, what about you, Y/n? You never really talk about your life before the army. » Said, Sasha.   
« Oh. Well, I don’t have a lot to say, » you replied trying to change the subject. A rush of heat started to grow on your face.   
« Can I ask you a question? »   
You started to feel uncomfortable. First because for a long time you tried to forget what you were before joining the scouts. Second, because you started to feel bad for your friends. You knew a lot about them as persons, what they were doing, where they lived, how their families were. But them, they didn’t know a single thing about your life. They just knew the soldier. In a moment of bravery (or at least you tried to convince yourself that it was), you decided to let them know a bit more. Just a tad bit more. They were your friends, you trusted them. It was only fair for them to know you more in depths.   
« Yes, go ahead ask me, » you replied to Sasha, with a shy smile expanding on your lips. 

She didn’t ask the question right away. She seemed to look for her words, a bit embarrassed, and you instantly knew what the question would be. 

« I’ve always seen you with that scar on your back. And hum, how you seemed to be extremely careful to not touch it. How did you get it? » she looked at you before quickly looking down at her hands. 

At first, you didn’t want to answer, you didn’t want them to know what had happened that day. But a small voice in your head was urging you to do it. To finally talk about it to someone.  
You looked at her for a short second before letting out a deep breath.

« Alright. I would tell you because I trust all of you. But you have to promise me to never talk about it to anyone. I’m serious. I’m not comfortable with it » 

All of them, waiting for the answer to finally come out of your mouth, all replied in unison. 

« We promise »

You laughed. Genuinely. Because it reminded you of when you were younger. Back in time, were promises really meant something to you. Feeling reassured around them you dare to say the words that you hadn’t pronounced for a long time.

« Y’all have to « promise promise » you finally said. It felt weird to say it after all of those years, a mixed feeling of nostalgia and relief. 

At these words, Levi's entire body tensed.

« Stop talking. I don’t want to hear any of you. You might as well ring a bell to inform the Titans that their diner is served » 

His eyes that were looking at the ceiling a second ago suddenly were flashing at you, piercing through your skin. If they could have lit you on fire right on the spot, you would probably be burning right now. 

You didn’t think much of it, you just thought that the man found it childish, considering his short temper.   
Your comrades looked at you, their eyes filled with confusion. 

« My brother and I used to say that to each other. It just to prove that you are being sincere. » you laughed it out, a bit embarrassed to tell such personal stuff. 

« I didn’t know you had a brother! » Connie said, « Why hasn’t he joined the army with you? » 

You looked down to your feet. This little chat was getting a bit too serious for what you were used to. 

« He died years ago. At least I think so. » you said while trying to swallow back the lump in your throat that was settling. Your voice started to shake. « I got this scar trying to find him. » 

« What the fuck did I just said. » Levi abruptly stood up from his spot to grab your face inside his hand. « Shut. Your. Damn. Mouth » 

You looked at him, your eyebrows frowned, while his hands crushed your cheeks.  
The lifeless eyes that you were so used to see him with, were no more. His gaze was different than usual, but you couldn’t tell what it was.   
You were not talking as loud as he was implying. With a vivid neck swipe, you freed yourself from his grip.

You didn’t say another word for the entire afternoon.  
No one did.


End file.
